The Dreaded CV19

Back in 2017, I shared my attempts to get back into running after many years, specifically referencing the “Freshman 15” and other corpulent milestones. Since then, I’ve done a fairly good job of keeping up the runs and avoiding salty snacks in front of the TV in my normal day-to-day life. Or at least, I did, until March 13, 2020. As many of us in the USA recall, that was the day ‘normal’ changed.

Ways To Positively Affect Yourself & Others During COVID-19

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

While it feels like the whole world has been turned upside down due to the coronavirus, you can still do your best to better yourself and help others during these turbulent times. Through social distancing, diligent hand washing, and adhering to direction given by the CDC and WHO, we can all help to stop the spread of the virus. In addition to distance, hygiene and listening to public health agencies, there are a multitude of things that you can do to positively affect yourself and others during COVID-19.

The Olympic Games

The author, skating.

Every four years, I am tickled with glee that the Winter Olympics have arrived. I have come to discover that people prefer either the Summer or the Winter Olympics. They can like both, of course, but they are usually more partial to one. I am definitely more partial to the Winter Olympics, which is surprising, since I hate the cold. But there is something about how winter sports make the dark, cold season cozy and celebratory that helps me make it to spring.

About 3 years ago, I took up speed skating as a way to lose weight. I learned that the activity burns 500 calories an hour. I figured if I am going to suffer through a workout, I might as well get the biggest bang for my buck. The first time I tried it, my legs felt like someone was taking a blowtorch to them. My feet were sore with blisters. And my nose was running like a faucet (ice skating makes your nose run – bring tissues). I realized this was going to be a slow buildup of my body adjusting to this new activity. I read over some books on athletic training to get an idea on how to proceed. The key was to take it slow and steady. I skated in 10 minute segments with 10 minutes of rest. Gradually, I worked up to 15 minute segments with 5 minutes of rest.  Eventually I got to the point where I am at today which is a solid 90 minutes of skating with a 5 minute rest in the middle. It is amazing how the human body adapts and alters.

The following eBooks are available on sports training at Touro College Library:

Sports Performance. Kanosue, Kazuyuki.

Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance : Muscle Building, Endurance, and Strength.  Bagchi, Debasis.

Strength and Conditioning for Sports Performance. Jeffreys, Ian.

But getting back to the Olympics. The Olympics has always been about more than just athletic stamina and grace. It is also an extravaganza of politics and national agendas mixing. The underlying current is about the nations of the world interacting, competing, and making statements about other nations. In a way, the Olympics is a political summit. And as the 2018 Winter Olympics wrapped up in Pyeongchang this week, we saw a thawing of tensions between North and South Korea as both nations decided to have their athletes march into the opening ceremonies under a united Korean flag. They also had a united hockey team. However, North and South Korea marched out of the games separately at the closing ceremonies leaving many to ponder the message. In addition to the drama surrounding Korea, Russian athletes had to compete under the Olympic flag due to doping scandals in their homeland. This opened a lot of discussion and controversy regarding the IOC (International Olympic Committee) engaging in favoritism and corruption. The political football of the Olympics is not new. It has been a tradition since the Olympics started.

The following eBooks are available on the politics of the Olympics:

Activism and the Olympics : dissent at the games in Vancouver and London Boykoff, Jules.

The Beijing Olympics : Soft and Hard Power in Global Politics. Caffrey, Kevin.

Designing the Olympics : Representation, Participation, Contestation. Traganou, Jilly.

As far as the 2020 Summer Olympics go, someone else will have to blog about them. I am too busy celebrating summer to watch.

Contributed by Annette Carr, Business Librarian, 65 Broadway.

Wild and Untouched: Hiking the Deserts of Southern California

A beautiful sunset in Death Valley National Park

My husband and I like to visit at least one National Park every year. We have visited several of them so far. In fact, it looks like we have visited 24 out of 59 parks up to now. National Parks in the United States are of great importance. They are protected vast natural beautiful lands and usually include unique geological features. They are kept wild and untouched. And they can’t be bought by real estate moguls and be destroyed by human greed.

Turning Over an Old Leaf

Up and at ’em! (Image: Pinterest)

At 4:30 AM, on the morning of January 3rd, I swung my tired legs over the edge of my bed, dragged myself onto my feet, struggled into the sweats and sneakers I’d laid out the previous evening, forced a caffeinated pre-workout drink down my throat and stumbled out my door into the quiet chilly darkness.

Exercise Is The Best Medicine

(CC0 image)

This post was contributed by:

Meihua Li, a Pharm.D. candidate class of 2017, Touro College of Pharmacy, with a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from Seoul National University, South Korea

If you are a healthcare provider, if there was a prescription that could prevent and treat many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, would you prescribe it to your patients? Exercise is one of the most effective and affordable medicines, and the benefits of exercise are far beyond control of body weight.

A Running Tour of Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Marathon began in 2010. TCI Librarian Aviva Adler participated in the 10k this year on March 18, 2016.

What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions Israel? Jaffa oranges? Beaches on the Mediterranean Sea? Google’s Research & Development offices? The new “Silicon Wadi” in Beer Sheva? For the sixth year, Israel has also hosted the Jerusalem Marathon in its capitol city. A record number of 30,000 runners, including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, ran the full marathon (42.2 KM or 26.2 mi.) or half marathon (21.1 KM), or joined the 10 KM or 5 KM races. 

Tips to Beat Stress

(CC image via Pixabay)

Stress is part of the everyday life of almost every person old enough to have responsibilities and deadlines. Stressed is an inevitable state of being that everyone at some time or another has felt or will feel. It can not only take a toll on our minds but on our bodies as well. Personally, my stress tends to build not only in my brain but in my neck and back as tightly bound knots. Over time I have learned some mindful relaxation tips and techniques to help relieve my stress that I want to share with you.

Take a Hike!

As The Doors once lamented in song, “Summer’s Almost Gone.”  Rather than sit around and sulk about oncoming cold weather (I hear we have another snow-heavy season ahead in the Northeast), I decided to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment out of what warm sunshine remains in 2015. And what better way to do that than to lace up a good pair of walking shoes, and hit my favorite trail?

Yoga: Is it for me?

(CC0 image via Pixabay)

Some of you might have asked this question at some point in your lifetime. Others might have simply come to the conclusion, “Yoga is not for me,” without really trying it. I have been in this second group for a very long time. I considered myself more of a Pilates girl and always thought that yoga was boring and not very challenging. I guess I was wrong.  I have been practicing Yoga for the past 8 months, and I have become very fond of it. It started as a New Year‘s resolution, thinking, “Let’s give it a try. I can always stop if I don’t like it,” but I am glad that I decided to try.